Greatest-ever tag awaits Nadal

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Greatest-ever tag awaits Nadal

By Alan Nicolea on Sun, 04/07.2010

Rafael Nadal fell to the ground in salute of a second Wimbledon victory, but it was ritual rather than the real thing. The big celebration took place on Friday night when Nadal keeled over and kicked out in triumph after beating Andy Murray.

Deep down Nadal knew that was the moment when he had clinched his eighth Grand Slam title.

Usually, people ask "is he the greatest" when they are deep into emotional extra time after an epic match, but it is a deeper question after an anticlimax like this. Sunday's final took place in the shadowlands of greatness because Nadal was far too good for Tomas Berdych. Is he now the best tennis player of all time?

Rafael Nadal's withdrawal will prompt speculation about his future. The Federalists will squawk in disbelief and point out that their man has 16 grand slam titles, twice as many as Nadal. It's statistically incontrovertible, but Roger Federer beat a long list of not-quiters, has-beens or youngsters in those finals. Look them up if you don't believe me. The only thing golden about Federer's era was the appalling No 15 he wore on his tracksuit after last year's smug Wimbledon triumph.

Thank goodness we didn't get that sort of syrup from Nadal. The Spaniard may have more tics than a mangy horse, but he knows how to behave in victory and defeat. He even took the trouble to thank the Centre Court crowd for "the amazing respect" they showed him during his semi-final victory over Murray. Even in his moment of ultimate triumph Nadal was still thinking back to that match.

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Alan Nicolea

I attained my Journalism Diploma in 2009 and I am completing my Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in media and cultural...

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Thank you for the article on

Thank you for the article on the prejudice.

Manners of nadal are really bad. Other players are always made to wait. Shout. Overaction. Medical time out of sham.

Nadal says winning the U.S. Open not an obsession

[I think if we are talking generally, I probably arrived a little bit better than (in the) other years, said Nadal, whose first opponent will be Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili. But I did two semi-finals (in the) last two years, so it wasn't a bad result. I was there.
Physically Im fine. I was always fine mentally, just one time in 2008 when I lost the semi-final against Andy (Murray). I was too tired to win this tournament.]

Nadal looked a little rusty on his return to the tour in Toronto and Cincinnati earlier this month but said there was no reason why he could not win the title in New York.
[After a few years I am playing better and better in this tournament, but still the centre court is difficult to play, with more wind than the rest of the grand slams.Sometime when you are against the wind, it seems like you are not moving the ball. But I did well. When you are in the semi-finals for two years?, why not? ]
http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/news?slug=reu-opennadal
arrogance nadal

15 jackets of Roger? That is an arbitrary decision of the nike. Roger did not know it.